Lee rubens



(No Model.)

L. RUBENS. UNDERSHIRT.

No. 528,988. Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

UNITED STAT S PATENT O FICE."

LEE RUBENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Ass IeNoR TO LILLIE RUBENS, OF

SAME PLACE.

'U NDERSH IRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,988, dated November13,1894.

Application filed November 15,1893. Serial No. 491,063- (No model.) I dTo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE RUBENS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Garments; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This inventionrelates to a novel construction in undershirts forinfants, the objects being to provide a garment ofthis kind that can bereadily put on and fastened, or removed from, an infant; which when inplace and fastened will fit nicely and is smooth, and which provides anextra covering or protector for the chest and abdomen.

The invention consists in the features of construction hereinafter fullydescribed and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is afront view of the garment. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the same atabout the waist line, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view, at about the waistline, of a modified construction embodying my invention.

Referring now to said drawings, 1 indicates the main body portion of thegarment provided in the usual manner with the neck 2 and arms 3. Theopen portion of the garment is not provided with fasteningdevices inftheusual manner, but each side or edge of the open portion is provided witha strap or band 4 of sufficient length to extend from the open edgearound the body to about the middle of the back. In the constructionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 one of these straps or bands 4 is provided with abutton 5 and the other with a hole 6, said button and. hole beinglocated near the outer ends of 'the straps or bands, and also in saidFigs. 1 and 2 an opening 7 is madein the body of the garment at aboutthe waistline, to permit one of the straps or bands 4 to passtherethrough. Therefore, when putting on a garment of this constructionit is placed on the body in'the usual manner and then one of the strapsor bands 4 is passed through the opening'7, while the other strap orband 4 laps over'the side of the garment to which is attached this strapor band which passes through the opening 7. In Fig. 1 the garment isshown in this position. The said straps or bands 4 are then carriedaround the It will thus body and then fastened together; be seen thatthe garment is secured to the body by making one fastening only and isespecially useful as an infants under-garment, because it avoids thetrouble that is experienced in putting an undershirt provided withseveral buttons on a very small child, because thebuttons are usuallyvery difficult to button up upon small and active children, 7

as will be obvious. It also avoids the gaping of the garment between thebuttons, which usually occurs with the undershirt of a small child.

' It is obvious that other means of fastening the bands 4 can beemployed, and in dotted lines in Fig. I I have shown a buttonhole inplace of the button 5 and a button on the back of the garment. It isfurther obvious that I can employ various other means for this purpose,without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The open edges of the garment are provided with extensions 8 to whichthe straps or bands 4 are attached, as shown in Fig. 1. In this way itwill be seen that when the garment is worn these extensions overlappingeach other and the body of the garment provide a double thickness atsuch portion, and form a chest and stomach protector.

The overlapping extensions 8 of the undershirt form a special feature ofmy invention in connection with the means for fastening the garment. Forinstance, the extensions meet and overlap at about the neck band andextend approximately to the bottom of the garment. It thus forms acovering of extra thickness for the chest and abdomen of an infant,which are the most vital parts; Another important advantage is that thegarmentcan be easily and quickly placed upon, or removed from an infantand obviates the necessity of drawing it on over the childs head as isusual, and again, the smoothness with which it fits and is held inposition is a marked feature of improvement.

I am aware of United States Letters Patent No. 326,553 for childrensunderwaists and of French patent to Pelte et aL, No. 188,977, ofFebruary 25, 1888, for corsets and which are distinguished from myinvention by the fact that they are for a different kind of garmentwhich has no arms, neck nor chest or abdominal protector. I am alsoaware of garments having chest protectors of various shapes andarrangements but none thatis similar to that forming the subject of thisinvention.

It is obvious that my invention can be variously modified, and I haveshown in Fig. 3 one of the various modifications that can be made. Insaid Fig. 3 I obviate the necessity of making an opening 7 in the bodyof the garment and place a button 5 on the end of one of the straps orbands, which strap or band is passed around the body inside the garment.A buttonhole 9 is made in the back of the garment and this button 5which is on vthe outside of said strap or band is passed through saidbuttonhole 9. Then the other length to reach the rear portion of thegarment, and to be there fastened, the body of the .garment having anaperture to permit the fastening of the straps or bands, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE RUBENS. Witnesses:

HARRY COBB KENNEDY, RUDOLPH W. L012.

